


HEATHENS - A Miitopia Fanfic

by KnifeBlook



Category: Miitopia (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Character Death, Dystopia, Original Character(s), Other, Post-War, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:23:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16332842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnifeBlook/pseuds/KnifeBlook
Summary: Ari, a fellow mage from Neksdor, had been dealing with the new Dark Lord and his army for years now. When it comes to her sister, Asher, the commander of the monsters who obeys his commands and has no empathy towards others, all she can do is try to reason with her as hell breaks lose. She nearly had herself injured due to what she had to go through because of her own sister.One day, however, things would change when a prophecy is foretold that she would turn against her own god and save Miitopia from despair. Despite Asher showing no remorse towards the other Miis, it would become relevant as she leaves her residence to find her true self and where she belongs to. Little does she know that this decision will take her to the greatest journey of them all.





	1. ACT 0 - Prologue Pt.1

As the land of Miitopia rests above to live another day, the night puts on their gown with the stars and the moon. Most of the Miis give a prayer to the great guardian spirit, while others drift away early to begin a whole new morning and some just stay awake briefly for any ghost sightings. The world just becomes a quiet, gentle dream. This can be said for the little town called Greenhorne, where it feels like you're strolling across a carnival at its final moments before closing at a full moon.

However, tonight doesn't seem quiet as it always was.

A mage in a silky robe walks silently in the shadows alongside a battlescarred thief, an airheaded tank and a gentle cleric. It appears they may have been summoned by the King of Greenhorne to hunt down someone who isn't welcome to the village, someone deemed as the most vile Mii from another place far away from where they are now. That person has been going about for years, threatening to burn down one residence after another, especially since they happen to share an alliance with He, the Dark Almighty– who is far worse than what can describe the fiend. They've confirmed they're going to destroy what the village held dear, and that's what gives the four the reason to patrol in this hour.

The mage looks at the cleric, "Marina, you got your staff ready for healing, right?"

Marina, the only cleric in the group, spoke softly yet firmly, "Don't fear, Ari. I'm always prepared in any situation, so it's no surprise I've already planned a strategy to take down the False Warrior."

"What about you, Zero?"

The tank imputted the missiles into her launcher, smirking as she made a determined face, "Well, the hell do you think? I've got the best weapon to scare off that edgelord of a devil, heh heh heh!"

Choppa, the thief with ginger hair, snarled deeply, "Don't get yourself too confident, ya' airheaded prick. The warrior may be a swordfighter, but she knows monster-like combat in battles. Some say she even stole a face and gave it to ol' Purple Satan himself, so you know you can't depend on your own luck to be sure things go like we've planned."

"Ah, shaddup. I already know what to expect from that black sheep, I ain't scared of her–"

Before Zero would finish their sentence, they see a shadow appear briefly before disappearing, leaving behind a vicious yellow glow. Ari stood her ground, raising her wand up and releasing a flame from its tip. Her sister – Asher – had arrived, and she's ready for what might be a sisterly showdown. It was her against the False Warrior, the one who had been growing more and more infamous for her war crimes, especially the rebirth of the Dark Lord.

Yet she didn't want to fight her own sister, she just wants to reason with her.

The thief was first to leap out of the shadows, keeping her guard up as she looked around for the yellow eyes. The tank had her missile launcher fully loaded, and followed them after. Ari and Marina stood away, just in case any monsters appear from behind them if they take one foot out of the alley. The four knew they at least have to keep an eye out for her army. They'll appear anywhere, anytime.

"Ey, Ashy Washy!" Choppa mocked, "Where is wittle Ashy Washy now? Is she too much of a bastard to come out and play?! That bitch better come out and burn down the village if she thinks she has the guts to do it!"

_Rustle! Rustle!_

The thief in hero's gear raised her dagger immediately from the sounds of someone lurking from any area. She and Zero looked around for any signs of her presence, Marina and Ari slowly appearing as well. As the two were just willing to put the traitor behind bars, the other two who had just came out were patient, knowing she may have tactics behind her black cape.

Ari spoke, "Zero, I don't think she's ever coming out."

"... You're telling me to nuke any area to find Asher?"

"Well you're the only tank in our party at the moment! Plus, you tend to be more critical with your airheadedness."

"Do I have to...? Ugh, fine... For you, True Mage."

The tank with an outfit full of rust and growing blossoms sighed and was first to fire their weapon, the missile flying up in the air before landing down onto somewhere. Once the missile hit the soul, an explosion would be Swift and immediate, the sounds of a monster's scream would ring in the party's ears, and a face would float away to the evening sky. As the Mii's face would slowly disappear into the night, she slowly let down her guard, walking down to where her launcher had landed.

Marina would follow as well, looking at where the explosion occurred. No sign of Asher here, thank the spirit everyone had evacuated before she had arrived. It did leave her wondering: What was she planning to do in order to get the happy home transformed into a living hell?

"At least you fired a good shot," the cleric complimented, Zero looking at her with a smile, "At least we know she has her patrol roaming around as well."

Then all of the sudden, a voice spoke,

"Playing with fire, I see..."

The whole party looked up, their eyes widening in shock as three of the Dark Lord's ships had appeared above them, the monsters from every region appearing on top of the roofs. Standing on the first one landing on the soil was the False Warrior, a Karkatonian commander with imp horns with the right one chipped, wearing black armor and her face hidden behind a black leather mask resembling a plague doctor. She took out her hero sword on hand, and pointed it directly towards the mage, her eyes glowing yellow once again.

Marina's words stuttered just from seeing her, "I-It's Asher..."

Ari felt her pulse speed up as her wand grew orange sparks.

"It's a dreadful shame that you came to the party uninvited," Asher cackled as she remained in position, "I thought you Miis would bring in your best soldiers for this battle, though it seems there's thousands of us and only four of you."

Ari's wand flared to life, and her expression grew furious due to what her sister had become. Zero's guard rised up once again as she fully prepared her launcher. Choppa and Marina stood close to one another as their weapons slowly aimed at the commander of the army, yet at the same time saw houses turning on the lights and Miis opening their windows to see what was happening.

The warrior stood idle for a brief moment, but then raised her sword up to the moon,

**_"MONSTERS OF KARKATON, ATTACK!"_ **

The hellions made their move, leaping down from the ships and roofs as they began to terrorize the Miis. The sounds of window breaking, buildings crashing and people screaming made the four realize they have to act quickly.

The True Mage hollered as she began to perform her first attack, "TOWER OF FLAME!"

A bright, orange beam of fire blasted from below, Asher nearly dodging it and disappearing without a trace. Ari, knowing battling her own sister won't be easy, tried to find her in a swarm of monsters and blazing heat.

Meanwhile, Zero was grinning madly as she fired missiles in every area, watching her foes get obliterated in the process, their faces floating away as their bodies turn into ashes. The thrill of slaughtering so many of these spawns of Satan were what speeds her vains, the motivation to take down the Dark Lord and his commander indeed. If she'd not care for such a thing, then Miitopia would be done for and she wouldn't be alive to see its demise. She was built to destroy, just like the other tanks, and she cannot be convinced otherwise. The thoughts stirred into her mind, making her come to realize she had run out of missiles. Oh, for spirit's sake...

Just before she could reload, however, one Fiend fled to her and striked her before she would retaliate, leaving behind what might be her first battle scar. She threw her launcher away and leaped after the monster, pinning them down and slamming her fist as if it was a hammer. However, more of the monster imps appeared from above, drowning her alive and making it hard for the tank to breathe. She was struggling to get out of the pile with her strength until...

"RIGHTEOUS ANGER!"

A white light was summoned, knocking out the plethora of monsters that were piling up against Zero's will and making others retreat. Marina had came to her assistance, thank the stars she came along in the battle. The cleric picked them up and tended to their current state, refilling their weapon and healing them for a brief bit. Choppa was by her side as well, but only because she's performing Phantom Slash so they can have a chance to save themselves.

"I owe you a good one, sweet Marina," she breathed heavily due to the heavy wounds, "I thought I was going to be a goner until you showed up!"

"We still have no time, though! We need to evacuate the Miis out of Greenhorne!"

"Wait, I thought we already done the king's work! You mean to tell me there's a couple of nasty chumps who didn't even realize that devil was coming?!"

"I'm afraid so, Zero," Marina spoke, the thief landing once their circle was free of the beasts, "We're going to have to find as many as we can. I'm pretty sure the monsters have stolen around hundreds of them by now!"

Choppa overheard them, and snarled once again, "Hurry up then, ya' bastards!! We don't want to fuck up like we've already had! Ari depends on us to protect Greenhorne from those demons from hell and it's already in flames!"

"Keep in mind that we need to find any civilians who didn't have their faces taken yet," The final words spoke out of the cleric in their brief conversation before they would take off to find the other Miis.

As the flames grew higher and higher from the damages the army was causing, Ari continued to find her sister, fendng herself off against the griffins and goblins that tried to attack her. Once she had made it to another burning alleyway, she spotted her but appeared to have arrived at the wrong time: Asher had just executed a worried mother's humble husband, his face looking in horror as they got put in a jar and was taken to the ship above, leaving behind a body with his head decapitated. She leaped down to the building, her cold-hearted eyes looking directly at the mage.

"You... _killed_ another one..."

Ari was shattered from the path her sister had chosen, and screamed in tears as she used her magic to form a sword made of aura and clashing towards her. The imp-human hybrid took immediate action, her sword striking the other as they two battled against one another. The two tried to not get themselves hurt, but Asher was brash, unafraid to get any scratches as she tried to throw her own sister into the brightening blaze that had engulfed the whole village at this point.

The eldest sister was strong enough to slam her foe down to the ground, thr mask letting lose as it revealed a young woman with black hair and brown eyes, the aura from her wand turned into electricity as she, "How dare you go out your way to murder another innocent bystander! What has Greenhorne done to deserve being raided by your so-called 'god' that you worship but don't even realize how he really is?!"

Asher struggled to free herself, but kept a sinister look on her face as she hissed, "Says the girl who refuses to believe that her god abandoned me when I died. You don't even realize how betrayed I was the moment I started to understand what wasn't the truth."

"The guardian spirit would never throw you away at youth! The Dark Lord only revived you so he can have another advocate in the Great Oblivion, you need to understand–"

The False Warrior kicked her off and slammed her with her body, the both of them tumbling over before the two of them would battle one another again, but with their weapons abandoned on the building. Asher's monster-like combat was put to use, so she was able to do enough damage than Ari would. Once the mage's fist missed her face, she pinned her onto the wall and grasped her neck, ready to take the life of another Mii who she once called her sister.

"P-Please, sister," Ari begged, gasping for air as the area became too infiltrated with smoke, "You've got to open up your eyes... The Dark Lord doesn't care for you at all, h... he just wants to conquer and destroy everything Miitopia held dear... What's the point of killing these Miis for him if he only cares about inflicting pain onto others...?"

Asher's eyes grew a bright yellow, her claws unsheathed from her gloves as she snarled demonically. However, despite her will, she couldn't urge herself to kill off her relative. Ari was one to understand her and stay by her side, even when she abandoned all faith for the sake of appeasing the Dark Lord. She wants to kill her, but she can't.

"Commander! Commander!"

Just before she would do anything else, a brutally wounded Terror Fiend ran to her, coughing as they shouted, "Commander, this is useless! The whole village is becoming too toxic for us to battle any longer!"

Asher looked at the monster and scolded them, "I refuse to let us retreat to Karkaton yet! I'm just about ready to take down this mage and steal her face as well! Once that's done, we can return home to tell Samael of our battle."

Ari struggled to breathe, but widened her eyes as she heard the Dark Lord's real name. Samael...? He was the former emperor of Miitopia before his downfall, and he was deemed as dead for decades. Is he really the current leader of Karkaton...?

The monster imp still couldn't handle the heat, and gagged as they replied, "The Dark Lord will definitely honor us for our first ever victory, but we cannot afford to lose anymore soldiers than we've had now! Add in with the fact we've collected enough faces for our army to increase, I don't think we need to stay here or continue to snatch any more."

Asher took a moment to think, and decided it was for the best. She'd let go of Ari, the monsters returning both their weapons, and the warrior watched her retreat from the village with the rest of the remaining Miis who survived the invasion. She went up to the ship again, but this time raising her sword up once again.

"Monsters of Karkaton, that's enough! Let us return safely before Greenhorne becomes more toxic!" She declared loudly, all the monsters evacuating the town in flames to head back to where they've originally came from. The ships would turn around, making leave and disappearing into the blood-red sky.

As the other Miis evacuated safely, the thief would turn around one last time to see her old home. She just felt torn apart from the damages the fiends have caused, and wished she was more prepared for what was coming. She would run off to join the rest of the Miis, who can't help but weep from the traumatic event...

...All while their own home was burning down.


	2. ACT 0 - Prologue Pt.2

He swore, he could hear the screams of Greemhorne's civilians echo in his head. It doesn't do anything, it just repeats over and over.

Karkaton is no place for any Mii to roam around unless they have the guts to face him, he knew. Volcanoes release ashes once they explode, further darkening the red evening sky just so little of stars. The lava oozes from anywhere, often times they'd bleed out from caves and even volcanic waterfalls. Here, anyone can see his aeathetically delicate castle and be in awe with the fact it was destroyed and renewed for every new host he had, especially the newer one. The heat is always burning in this region of Miitopia, but he doesn't seem to mind it at all, nor does the monsters for that matter.

The Dark Lord would continue to stare at the army returning home. Out of one of the ships came Asher, who had just returned with a couple of wounds and burn marks. She had her war mask and her sword, as usual, but she appeared to have her clothes slightly torn from the invasion of Greenhorne. She seemed too tired to walk, as she coughed loudly and collasped onto the floor, letting her newer scars bleed out. The griffins had arrived to her assistance, and they slowly picked her up to take her to her room, the cumulous clouds heading up as well so they can assist in healing the cuts and burns. He sighs sadly and just looks up at the evening sky.

A small Terror Fiend from Asher's patrol would float up to the phantom of evil, showing a bit of concern as they held the face of a now-deceased humble husband, "My lord?"

He had noticed them, but didn't make any eye contact as he would rather look at the lack of stars in the sky, "How did the conquest go?"

"It was deemed as a victory, and our first one in years. With the help of Asher, we had around a hundred fifty faces stolen, a much larger amount than we usually get. It doesn't look like the remaining civilians can stay in the village after the damages we've caused."

"As for the losses?"

"We've lost a few as usual, my lord. Fortunately, we can have newer monsters with the amount we've gotten, and perhaps it's a bigger chance to have newer offspring once spring rolls around."

"I am thankful to have you and the monsters as my faithful subjects and my ultimate army that's forever growing. I also feel thankful to have Asher assist in today's victory."

"Any reason, my lord?"

"Well, she's made sure our invasion goes accordingly," he cackled as he looked at them, "I hate seeing her come back exhausted and wounded after all the work she had to put to help us win, I feel she needs to at least have a break every once in a while."

The Terror Fiend thought for a moment, and then replied, "I'll admit, our army would've lost more if it hadn't been for her destructiveness and her 'not yet' sort of attitude. She had a mage, possibly her relative, struggling from her grasp before our retreat, and we had to tell her that we need to leave as Greenhorne was engulfed into flames and she was more willing to finally kill her off than she was wanting to head home. Thank the stars she didn't go too far, she knew it was for the best if we made leave so we won't have to die from this heat.

They continued, "As much as I admire her courage, I wish she would actually have a second thought when it comes to our war tactics."

The Dark Lord would nod in agreement as he yawned and made a grin, "In the meantime, we should go check on her, see how she's doing."

"Well said, my lord," the Fiend smirked, being first to fly into the castle to see Karkaton's commander in charge. The phantom followed as well, hoping she's at least keeping herself calm from the living hell she created back there.

No Mii should ever have to go through this much in a war.

+++++++++++

Darkness.

_Darkness..._

**_Darkness..._ **

Just an oblivious void of emptiness.

It was all she could see within her surroundings. The black, empty void had a dim mist of stars underneath her to know where she's going, but seeing such a place made her feel... Off. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe– Her body was restless.

Where is she...?

Asher would walk by herself, walking forward to... wherever the hell she is. She just looked at at the black sky. The ambience was nothing more but a gentle, gusty wind making her shiver down every part of her spine. The fact that she seemed so self-aware she might be in eternal nothingness just made her haunted. She wasn't afraid of death nor will she ever be, so why is she behavior like this...?

She wanted to speak and ask for help, but all it came out was a small huff. She tried again, but she would begin to panic as she realized that nothing was coming out of her mouth. Only black ooze.

"H–!!" She couldn't even scream, "H–!!! Hhhh–!!!!"

Is she having sleep paralysis again?! Why isn't she speaking?! Why the FUCK isn't she speaking?!

She stopped making an attempt to release a word out of her mouth as she heard a ringing sound from both of her ears. She didn't want to waste any time in this hellhole, so she looked around to see what it was. However, once it reached to the highest volume, her ears began to bleed out and her eyes started melting in the process.

A voice spoke, "Poor little soul, are you lost?"

She'd come to see an eldritch cat-human hybrid with a harmless red sweater, just looking at her meanousingly as her cat ears twitched and slowly lowered. They looked delighted to see her getting tortured in this dream— maybe a bit too delighted. Her eyes suddenly widened and she tried to run away, but her body froze stiff.

She walks closer to Asher, placing her hand on her chin. Her voice was gentle, yet so firm, "Don't be scared of Miitopian Hell. Sure, you may be alive as commander now and may be intimidated by the looming feeling, but if you stay loyal to him, you'll realize living down here isn't as awful as you think it is! Until then..."

It was at this moment she realized exactly where she was. Before she could say anything, the Great Oblivion resident spoke.

"...You look like you'll be turning against him, soon enough."

_And they striked._

Just immediately, Asher woke up from the dream with an even stronger shiver worsened by her wounds.

She took a moment to take a deep breathe, just keeping herself calm from the nightmare she had. She looked at the surroundings, seeing that everything was just normal. Of course, the Apple Jelly slimes were still stuck on her minor scratch marks and still trying to heal them, along with the cumulous clouds sucking up the hydrogen peroxide and wrapping themselves around her chest and neck to stop the bleeding. Upon her awakening from a long sleep, one of the goblins in the room went up to her and nuzzled her left shoulder. She patted them on the head.

"You monsters like to go full-on hospital, do you now?" She giggled weakly, still feeling the pain hiss as she sat up, "Don't worry, I think I feel slightly better. I need to do patrolling for a—"

"I'm afraid there'll be no patrolling for today. You're still harmed from what you did back there."

Near the door was a familiar face that she squinted one moment and widened her eyes the next. It was Dark Lord Z himself! Why did he come to visit her now? Usually, when he does visit her in her room, it's mainly to be sure she's fast asleep for the night or fully prepared for the daily patrols.

"M-My lord!" She was flabbergasted, "I can handle these wounds from here! They're just minor scratches, that's all!"

"Yeah, and if you set one foot out in the volcanic depths while you do your job, you'll be dead where you stand. You need to rest, Asher. It's for your own good."

"Ah bloody hell, you sure about this?"

"I'll let the other monsters do your work from here. You still seem exhausted from the amount of work you've done."

"Heh, I guess I'll have to do my job later," she layed down again, her body being put to ease. Then Asher questioned the Dark Lord, "My lord, may I tell you a dream I had?"

He floated close towards her, stroking her hair just a bit before responding, "Proceed. I figured you weren't sleeping well the moment you knocked yourself out."

The False Warrior coughed for a bit and groaned from the wound on her neck. Once she the pain went away, she would lament,

"I... I don't know what just occurred in my dream, but I remember that I was seeing a void of darkness with dimful stars floating underneath me. The surroundings were eerie, and I could see little to none. I wanted to speak so I could know if anyone was out there, but somehow I couldn't. All that could come out of me was small huffs, as if prohibited from talking within the eternal oblivion. Suddenly, I encounter a Great Oblivion resident— a somewhat messed-up cat-human breed— goes up to me and... and..."

The Dark Lord's yellow eyes showed concern. What was a corrupted soul doing in her own dreams? Was she that connected to his philosophies? He commented, "Go on..."

"She told me I am going to one day turn against you... I don't know if it's just a nightmares or a prophecy. It just felt uncanny, inhumane even."

He was speechless from the words that spoke to her. Asher had been his commander ever since she was 18, four years she had worked for him in his conquests. She never met any of the Great Oblivion spirits her whole life. Seeing her encounter one and be warned of a message now is uncalled for. Why would she want to turn away against someone who had given so much to her?

"That... That's not normal to be visiting these souls in such a dream," his voice cracked, "How exactly you entered the hells of their realm is unheard of, but I feel it might have been because your wounds were severe?"

"It might be... I don't know if it will come back again, my lord. Was it a fever dream? Was it a near-death experience? So many questions I'm just pondering about..."

He sighed as he made way to give her a comforting hug, though avoiding the neck and the chest to be sure she doesn't have to deal with the pain. He even gave her a small peck on the head, just to show his love for her. He shows little to no empathy for others, but he hates seeing his own commander act like a coward over such hellish visions. She depends on him and he depends on her. They have a couple ups and downs over his leadership, yes, but at least he knows she'll never leave him...

...Right?

"Don't worry, child," he murmured as she shivered, "I'm pretty sure it's just another dream made to mess with your head. As long as I'm around, I'll make sure that never happens to the both of us."

"Oh great Almighty, please never let this event occur as long as I live..."

"It's just a bad dream, commander. Dreams don't become real life unless you were to make it happen."

The Dark Lord starred into the sky, the full moon appearing from the smoke-filled atmosphere. The other monsters did as well as Asher began to weep silently. What did she do to have her day end on a bad note? It's an enigma for now, but all he knows is that if the dream comes again, then there's a high chance he'll have to block out the dreams with his dark magic.

He can only hope this wasn't a real prophecy...


	3. ACT 1 - Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell yeah, baby! We finally get to see Ari being a dweeb in this chapter!! This also the first time I've updated one of my stories in a while.
> 
> Things have been pretty complicated for me, in terms of why it hasn't been updated for months. I was more focused with getting a job and paying for my college all while the country I'm living in is going to shards because of what's happening to our government. Really, the whole situation I'm dealing with has left me in a depressed mood, but at least it's given me motivation to work on this fic!
> 
> Get your bodies ready for Chapter 2. It's going to be a long, bumpy ride.
> 
> [[ REMINDER: I DO NOT OWN SCARFOXES. I ONLY OWN THE CHARACTER, GAZETA. SCARFOXES ARE A CLOSED SPECIES MADE BY KAKIWA ON DEVIANTART. ]]

_ Knock! Knock! Knock! _

“Special delivery for Ari Pone!”

...What day was it?

Ari awoke, her expression showing a drowsed expression while the knocking at the door continued. She watched Marina, her adoptive mother, walk up to the inn door, opening it, and greeting what could be one of the Miitopian mailmen, some gray fox-like creature, then having a conversation. She wanted to see who it was, but the pounding in her head of what has occured months before in Greenhorne still lingered in her mind: The fire blazing through the evening skies, the Miis screaming for their lives as the monster rampages through the houses and destroying everything they held dear, not to mention her sister killing another bystander in cold blood to snatch their face for the Dark Lord…

His wife might be devastated and still trying to deal with the loss, she wondered about the worried mother’s husband, what happened before was absolute hell…

She slowly got up, preparing herself for the new day. As usual, she changed her outfit to that of a silky robe, a delicate kind she had been wearing ever since she’s been declared as her given class she desired. She didn’t put on her hat, as she was still a bit too tired to head out just yet. She just kept the thought of her sister in mind. Marina was the only member who took care of the two of them, despite not being blood-related in any way. She remembers the day she found them after their true parents fled from Neksdor, never to be seen again and would only be informed of them after they died under the hands of a hellish Mii who overthrew the King of Greenhorne for a brief whole and went to ambush those who rebelled against him. The last thing Ari could remember was having them saying goodbye to her and telling them they might not be coming back for a while, leaving the two of them to survive the streets for three days alone in a blazing spring. Asher never got to see her mother nor her father during the times of war.

Seeing the mailman leaving, Marina would arrive with the little package that was long in width in her hand, “It seems the fellow fox has delivered the new wand you ordered.”

“Yeah, yeah…” The mage rubbed her eyes before she opened the package, “I swear, I had to get a new one because the last one broke from one of my visits to Karkaton to deal with the False Warrior. Looks like they’ve become more firm with keeping their borders in check. You can’t even head back to the Realm of the Fey without Terror Fiends blocking your path and challenging you for a battle.”

“I know it’s hard, dear, but sometimes you have to bear with the aftermath. Before you know it, you’ll realize that not everyone can be redeemed and whatever happens comes and goes. Asher chose to side with the Dark Lord, so unless she changes her views, she won’t be thinking of any purities of her own kind anytime soon.”

“But you don’t understand… I remember her face showing she never asked to take part of his demands, especially after the death of the banana worker… Whoever he was...”

“I know, but can you really blame the prophecies that heed the warning she’d become what we never wished she’d be?”

“You’re… probably right,” Ari sighed, looking out at the window and seeing the morning sun, “I mean, what occured in the past we can’t do anything about, even if we tried. I wish she’d realize the Guardian Spirit never intended on abandoning her. How the Dark Curse even managed to help her resurrect from the dead and block any chance of the deity visiting her is beyond me.”

It didn’t take long until she finally put on her hat, heading onward to find the other teammates around the village of Greenhorne. As she took a stroll around the place, she took the time to look at the surroundings. It looks much more peaceful than it was before Asher invaded the area just to destroy the place and collect some faces, thought it looks more gloomy. The green grass still brushed their tips with the wind, but the trees were more than either dead or full of autumn leaves. Every house that was burned down had to be repaired to the colors it originally had been, delicate white and gray walls with either red or orange roof over their heads topped with wonderful glass windows that might reflect a rainbow if the moon were to fully direct at it.

Just miles away from the houses she can see what is a newly made cemetary, complete with hundreds of Miis that couldn’t escape the ambush being buried sweetly. The mother and her child she was thinking about sat there, just showing sorrowful emotions as they placed flowers, little oleanders, onto their grave. The town used to be a wondrous autumn wonderland, but now it’s not so joyful, despite plethoras of civilians trying desperately to shrug off the fear the False Warrior may take their lives next. She continued to walk past them, meeting up with two of her teammate, Choppa, speaking with the mayor, who seems to have an expression of a crippling anxiety.

“...It’s too bad that dirty rat ran away before I could get my hands on ‘er,” the thief snarled, her teeth shown nice and sharp, “I swore, I wanted her to pay for her hellish war crimes, and I still await the day I murder the gal’ in cold blood.”

“I understand you’re angry you never got to defeat her, but please don’t bring her up… We don’t need reminders of the damage—”

“Tch, ‘reminders’ my  _ FUCKING _ ass! I don’t see the point of being so scared of a midget in a black cape dilly-dallying on the rooftops and destroying people’s homes. At least step up your defenses and shoot the damn bitch with arrows, swords, anything! I’m pretty sure a poisonous weapon can easily get her out within  _ seconds _ .”

“Choppa, please listen—”

“Why should I?! You’re weak as shit, doing absolutely nothing to stop her from harming your townsfolk.  _ No wonder people barely visit ‘ere, anymore.” _

Seeing the thief showing a vicious expression in her eyes and the mayor having a panic attack, Ari immediately took action and decided to cut in before the matters would worsen, “Is there anything wrong?”

The battle-scarred woman and the chubby man looked at her with a shook expression, Choppa slowly backing away as if she were obeying one of the mage’s commands. The mayor was still baffled from the hostility he had to deal with such a person, he’d rather be dead than be alongside her in a planned meeting. As the girl continued to separate the two from a possible clash, he took some time to breathe, praying that he doesn’t have his neck sliced open. Choppa, on the other hand, still had an expression that hinted she wants nothing to do with him, but knew when to quit when the leader was around.

The mage can only hope she still remains obedient and controls her impulses.

“Choppa, this is the twentieth time you’ve mentally scarred him over what happened years ago,” she scolded her teammate with her concerned voice, “I thought you’d be more considerate about his well being, but instead you’re more motivated to murder my own sister. You know it’s frowned upon to lash out at others during a time of recovery, right?”

Choppa remained resilient, looking at her for a split second and her eyes shifting to the mayor. She had her dagger sharpened and prepared, she wasn’t afraid to injure anyone who stood in her path. With the woman in a silky robe, however…

Let’s just say it’s a whole different story.

Hearing Ari’s words show honesty from her mouth, the battle-scared girl in Hero’s Gear remained silent for a moment, biting their lip and showing a resentful look in her icy eyes as her head turned away. Instead of causing anymore confrontation, she would nod her head, Ari seeing she’s taken it with a grain of salt, and walk out of the village to ease herself for the morning. Once she was gone, Ari looked at the mayor, who’s breathing had slowed down thanks to her help.

“I am grateful you stood up for me when I needed it,” he admitted, “I just don’t admire it when she brings up how weak our defense and border security is… I-I tried to handle Asher as much as I could, but I didn’t realize the others didn’t get the news of the evacuation ordered by the king until the aftermath…”

“Don’t blame yourself, Mayor Stewart,” she smiled softly, “You did what you could, and all of this was never your fault. Choppa is in the right for you not making stronger defenses against intruders like Asher.”

“But really, how can I make it stronger? Our village has an economy top-notch but we barely have any money to pay for firearms and everything. Also, using acts of violence is not our main objective.”

“Hm… It sounds a bit tricky, in terms of what you’re trying to go for. Do you have any idea what you’re planning?”

“How about we set up surveillance cameras across the town? If anything, it’ll be easy to prevent her from getting away with whatever the Dark Lord sends her to do his nasty deeds.”

“Sounds fair! Maybe we can double the security by having other Miis outside Greenhorne, those skilled enough to battle a cerberus, to guard all areas from above and below? It’s just my way of thinking, it can keep the imp-human hybrid away and have her retreat to where she came.”

“You know, I never had the chance to mention this,” his voice showed empathy, “But I’ve been hearing about Neksdor still performing executions in front of a public crowd. I was thinking maybe we can add something like what our neighbor region has in mind, but mostly with the criminal selecting the people they so think would most fit for having them witness their demise, not have everyone they don’t know of. Maybe something that can at least show we pay respects for their privacy other than throwing them off… 

“Y-Yet, I don’t like seeing something deemed violent, so I might scrap the idea if others disagree— obviously they won't. Greenhorne is home to pacifists like myself, after all.”

There was a silence between the two, and the mayor continued,

“I really don’t want my town to become violent, but I refuse to have an increase in graveyards, either. Really, to become hostile just to show we’re firm is something neither of us can handle, even if it’s someone like the hellish purple demon spawn from Karkaton… I’ll think about your advice, however. They seem more prominent and could give us a better chance in making our allies stronger than ever.”

“Well, I can only hope my suggestions help you accomplish your desires. May the spirit bless you.”

“Of course, of course!” The mayor bowed happily before heading off to do his usual duties, “May the spirit bless you, too!”

Ari smiled at the old man before she would head off to encounter the others in the village, feeling thankful things will be getting better within the near future. Greenhorne had been greatly impacted by the event, along with Neksdor and the rise of the False Warrior. She didn't blame them, she was shocked and betrayed by her actions, killing off a banana factory worker for telling everyone of the truth about her alliance with him— that devil — and the dark magic she's been practicing. She never even got to hear the full story, but the man who died on that day was named Harvey, and one of the witnesses was a fox-like creature named Gazeta. She continued to stroll around in hopes she could find Zero.

However, she felt her heartbeat quicken as she passed by someone, a girl wearing a black robe covering her face but showing her shivering yellow eyes, her horns gladly revealing themselves. She turned around to see who it was, but the person disappeared just seconds after she passed them. She quickly felt her guard heighten to such degrees, almost as if she knew them before. Not wanting to cause any fear around the peers, she knew it was for the best if she just continued forth.

_ Who was that woman…? _

She would see Zero speaking to the old woman who ran a little shop alone by herself. The two were cackling, all while the same fox-like creature from earlier arrived, and it sparked a calm group conversation. Well, at least she's not minding the melancholy changes.

It didn't take long before the woman holding her rifle spotted her, happily waving, “How ya’ do, Ari?!”

Ari happily trotted to them with a soft expression, “Good morning, everyone! It's just another day in Miitopia, am I correct?”

“Of course it is, darling,” the cheery granny chymed, “My business has been gradually booming thanks to King Ivory lending me a promotion for helping out with the design of the castle! I am just so happy that the hard work I spent to make a living had finally paid off.”

The odd fox creature wagged their tail in glee, “For me, just doing my job while traveling about is the most fun thing. I was told by my boss that because of my efforts, I was given a chance to spend my well deserved vacation that is said to arrive by next week, topped with a salary increase! It’s been a lucky month compared to the others!”

“Well, well! That seems exciting for all of you! I just got a new wand, so it’s at least something to start the day!”

“Ah man, what happened to your other one?”

“Well, let’s just say I was traveling about and a monster ripped my last one to shreds when I was performing Tower of Flame.”

“Oh goodness, that’s inevitably uncalled for!”

“D-Don’t tell me you went to find  _ her _ in Karkaton again.”

“Oh? No, I hadn’t!”

“You don’t have to lie, buddy,” Zero smirked as she checked her rifle to be sure her ammo was loaded, “The ol’ cleric informed us you went out to the volcanic depths a week ago and told us about how the monsters chopped your wand and made you run off. Why ya’ still bother wantin’ to help a  _ lost cause?” _

She tried to respond, “I…”

Ari wanted to make a statement, but she knows that using the fact she’s her sister and wants to change her for the better won’t be a useful excuse. At this point, she feels every last teammate wants her to give up on her mission. Instead, she let the cheery granny speak up.

“Well, in case it all makes you feel better, just hours ago, the latest customer paid almost thousands of gold for an antique charm I had in my shop!”

The whole group had their eyes widen, “Wait, are you for real?!”

The old woman giggled as she flipped a coin in the air, “No tricks, no jokes, no pranks! There was a woman who was such a sweet little thing, asking me if business was slowing and hoping she’d help out with what she had. She bought a little antique charm from one of the boxes of necklaces I happen to have, saying she had a vision of something with a blue, glossy look along with strange stories about how she kept dreaming of this blue necklace full of magic talking to her. Despite the fact she was intimidating at first with all that black, she was a dear, telling me these majestic compliments that swam through my ears even after she left.”

Ari took a moment to think about what she said about the woman had described of the person. The same person who walked by her also wore black and had an appearance that struck her, as if she’s some grim reaper knocking at the door. Was it just a coincidence, or was there something more?

“Madam, did she happen to have horns sticking out of her hood?” She wanted to see if it was true, “When she arrived to your shop, what was the first thing that you noticed?”

“Hmm, she had her face hidden and had yellow eyes glowing like fireflies in the night. I like to believe she had horns that stuck out of her clothing as well, one of them being chipped. She looked like the grim reaper at first sight.”

The mage’s heart began to beat quickly, her eyes becoming dilated and her face beginning to sweat as the appearance she interpreted began to become more clear. It didn’t take long for her to realize who the person was... 

_ “T-That was her...” _

Zero spotted her beginning to panic, and tried her best to keep her company, putting her hand “E-Ey, what’s the matter? What ya mean ‘that was her,’ Ari?”

Ari’s body began to shake as she immediately flinched and backed away, almost immediately sprinting to a run to find the hooded figure. Her footsteps quickened as her breathing went faster. She had these horrid ideas of what Asher was going to do: What if she’s sent to kill someone like that humble husband and the banana factory worker? What if she’s planning on burning down Greenhorne for the second time? So many “what if” scenarios flashed in her head as she searched around every corner of the village, praying she hasn’t gotten anything up her sleeve that could lead to disaster. Before she knew it, she would trip on something and collapse onto the soil, nearly hurting her ankle.

Ari just made a pouting face while still in a stressful mood. Why does she do this to herself?

It didn’t take long before Zero would catch up to her, running slower due to how she was holding her massive rifle full of missiles. She showed major concern for Ari, and didn’t realize what went down in her head. She grabbed her hand and tried to pick her up.

However, another person came up to help her as well. Someone the two never knew would ever come to their assistance when they needed it most. It could have been a loving couple, it could have been a sassy child, it could even have been that worried mother who was mourning her husband’s death, but no. It was neither of them, it was a familiar face she never thought to see come face the two for the first time in years.

The False Warrior looked at her sister, her eyes fading into a normal dark brown as she took off her hood and reveal herself. Ari stood speechless as the youngest sister commented,

“Do you need anything, Ari?”


	4. ACT 1 - Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well then! We're finally back to Heathens again, and looks like it's one chapter in and things aren't going so well for poor Asher! What's the reason she's back in Greenhorne many years later after invading it and burning it down? What will Ari do in this situation? You can only find out in this chapter of Heathens!
> 
> [[ REMINDER: I DO NOT OWN SCARFOXES. I ONLY OWN THE CHARACTER, GAZETA. SCARFOXES ARE A CLOSED SPECIES MADE BY KAKIWA ON DEVIANTART. ]]

_ “S-Sister…” _

Ari stood shook for a brief moment, rubbing her eyes in absolute shock. Zero was looking at this five-foot-two woman in confusion, remaining frozen. Her youngest sister had arrived in Greenhorne, but why…? Where’s her army?

Gazeta arrived to the scene to find out where the two Miis had went, “Ari, what seems to be the proble—”

The fox-like creature immediately dropped his banana as he saw Asher, who raised a brow from seeing them look haunted yet shook her head as if she knew this is how they’ll react. Every single inch of his fur began to prick up as he was traumatized by seeing her. For Ari, it made sense for him to be shivering in fear; She IS the False Warrior, and she KILLED his best friend who was the very banana factory worker every Mii mentioned. The poor scarfox began to sweat bullets as her brown eyes were making contact with his yellow eyes.

“I… Um, t-that reminds me, I have business to attend to!” He immediately started backing away from the three, “I… Er… I need to talk… toooo... I need to speak with my boss about their planned bonuses so I c-can achieve more p-pay! W-Well, off to Neksdor!”

Zero turned around as Gazeta rotated south and retreated, “But it’s not twelve yet!”

“No time to talk, g-g-goodbye!”

He fled from the scene as more people appeared to where the two Miis and their former teammate were, all of them looking at the imp warrior with shocked, saddened, and angry faces, all at the same time. Asher remained emotionless as she walked to Ari, who was still hurt in the ankle. She knew they would resent her for the amount of war crimes associated with the Phantom of Evil that she has to carry. She never had any problem with following his philosophies, but then one fateful day, she decided to stand up to him. She didn’t plan on talking about it now, though she’ll consider explaining why she’s here if they let her.

“I guess they’re displeased to see me,” she looked at the faces, “The same can be said for you.”

“I…  _ W-Why the FUCK are you here?” _

“Would you like the short explanation or the long? I can do both~!”

“Asher, I’m serious. Why are you here? You’ve burned down Greenhorne once, these Miis don’t want to lose more of their families to a hellish being like you.”

“Yes, and these Miis don’t need to remember how you failed to defeat me in hand-to-hand combat.”

Before an insulted Ari can say more, she immediately heard a sounds of a dagger and then angry running. She then noticed a ginger-haired girl with facial battle scars and cold icy eyes charging right at Asher.

“YOU!” Choppa immediately struck like thunder, but the warrior nimbly dodged it, “How the fuck DARE you return to Greenhorne uninvited! Have you come to burn it some more, huh? IS THAT WHY YA’ HERE?”

Zero hollered, “Choppa, calm down!”

Ari’s sister was dodging the dagger, yet the thief was going all on her. The eldest sister remained silent and only hoped Asher found a way to calm her down. Choppa kept trying to aim for her neck, but she was rather small compared to her, who was almost 5’6”. Before this would continue on, the woman in black went passed her and slammed her sword onto a void that formed within the ground, creating a set of pitchforks caging her. As the people gasped from how a warrior could perform such a move made only for imps, she stood silent for a bit as she turned to see the thief trying to break through with her dagger, though each stab was one failure after another.

“I’m impressed you’re still ballistic than I am when my primal instincts go up,” she grinned sarcastically, “Come fight me again when you learn to not use your temper tantrums as a source of energy, will you?”

Choppa growled, “You  _ bastard…” _

Asher decided to act a bit petty towards her rival, “You’re a bastard, too, you know.”

Zero was watching Asher making malicious insults towards her two comrades, so she stood up, “Hey! You may be our former teammate and Ari may say you need to be given some respect because you’re related to her, but ye’ can’t talk to my friends that way! Just who the hell do you think we are?”

“Three weaklings, and you’re one of them. That’s what you are.”

Zero still had her rifle on her, so she aimed it towards her head, “Why, you little…”

Ari made sure she didn’t cause any bloody battles, so she went Zero and placed her hand on her launcher. The tank looked at her with widened eyes, but then lowered her weapon as she looked at her youngest sister. Once that was done, the mage realized that because she is a criminal, she had to be returned to prison for her crimes. With that, she turned to the whole crowd and spoke,

“To the people of Greenhorne: It appears that the False Warrior of Karkaton has arrived without any monsters beside her, and does not seem to be planning anything at the moment. However, we will be taking her in for investigation on Karkaton and the Dark Lord! I advise you all continue on with your day as we take care of this prisoner!”

Asher froze, “W-Wait…  _ Prisoner?” _

Ari hated seeing her own sister be hurt, but she continued on as she pointed her wand at her,

“Asher Pone. You have been wanted by Neksdor for alliance with enemy region Karkaton, murder of a banana factory worker, rebirth of the Dark Lord, numerous cases of destroying our homes, and the recent murder of a Greenhorne citizen. These are first degree crimes that a Great Oblivion member would commit. Your punishment will be most severe, and death row may be inevitable.”

Everyone began to cheer for Ari, but Asher was panicking like hell.

“Wait, I did not kill that man during the Greenhorne invasion!” she admitted to everyone, “I didn’t kill him, he was harmed by another person and was dead when I found him. The leader of the volcanic depths would scorn me for letting anyone die unless it’s for a sacrifice! Again, I didn’t slaughter that man!”

**_“Silence, False Warrior!”_ **

The youngest sister backed away by surprise on all fours like an animal, her sister looking down on her as she stood silent. She soon bowed down to her, but once she saw the cuffs put onto her and her sword and antique charm removed, she began to roar and tried to fight back, only to be put under a spell casted by Marina, who also came to the scene at the right time. Ari continued with her speech,

“Until further notice, we will keep the False Warrior under our supervision. Please refrain from mentioning her under Neksdorian law until she is imprisoned or beheaded. Return with your day, you’re all dismissed.”

The people stood a bit shook, but they all went back to their proper locations, murmuring for a bit before talking normally again. As for the True Mage, she would sigh as she took once glance at an enraged False Warrior, who was causing a mess on Greenhorne’s soil with the saliva as her instincts rose up and she was slowly giving in to the spell. She then turned away with a heartache as she walked south.

“Let us take her to the inn,” she commanded, “We’ll also be taking any items for further examining. This may be Greenhorne, but what I’m doing is Neksdorian law and is for the sake of the guardian spirit, and that is final.”

“But Ari-”

“I said that is final.”

All the teammates followed Ari to the inn, Asher defeated as she was forced to be taken with them.

What a bunch of fucking heathens, the imp warrior thought.

––-

The clock was spinning to where midnight had come. How long had she been awake? She didn’t know, but there wasn’t anything to hold onto.

Asher was gnawing on the handcuffs she was placed on as she sat in Ari’s bed, all while Ari was enjoying a game of chess with their adoptive mother. The two sighed in sync as they now have to deal with the youngest family member who’s a war criminal. While Ari was thankful to finally reunite with her sister, she never really wanted to arrest her under Neksdorian law. She just wanted everything to be alright again, just like in the good old days when the Dark Lord wasn’t resummoned to restore Karkaton.

The mage stood up and went to sit with the False Warrior, “You know, using your imp instincts on those cuff made of steel won’t do anything.”

Asher spat, “If it hadn’t been for you taking my sword, I would’ve busted free by now! I am insulted by the fact you decided to go imprison me and not fight me on the spot, you damn rat!”

“Also, insulting me to have things your way won’t solve anything. You could’ve said ‘please’ and I would have freed you like the little angel I am~!”

“Wha… We’re not children, Ari! Cut it out and tell me why you’re doing this!”

“Asher, be nice to your elder sister,” Marina cackled, “She’s only trying to help you calm down.”

The imp warrior roared in anger, but she took a moment to consider all of this, and tried to cool down. Her metallic claws were unsheathed, and Ari was quick to notice them before she dug them into the cuffs and created small scratch marks that got deeper and deeper the more she scratched it. She waited to see what she’d do, since she figured that Asher would still be obedient and follow the law anyway, though she might try to head out to stir trouble…

Meh, Ari and Marina were tough queens of magic anyway.

By the time the cuffs broke, Asher used one leg to bend it wide open for her right hand, and then used that right hand to let her hand go free. In such a situation of sparing a criminal, you’d think she’d go out and make a run for it to return to Karkaton, right? She has committed so many crimes, and cares for no one but herself. She is the False Warrior, after all.

“Now then,” Asher doesn’t flee, she instead follows her sister’s rules, “Since I’m basically your prisoner, I have to do as you say? It’ll be useless for me to run for the hills, anyway, so I might as well await your directions.”

“Well, for the time being until we get to Neksdor,” Ari scratched her chin, “We’ve been considering having you take us to your region to fight off the Dark Lord and restore peace in Miitopia, and hopefully make it the last of Samael. However, I have something to ask of you: What brought you to Greenhorne without an army?”

The youngest sister sighs. She takes a moment to look down on the ground, and lamented,

“I was exiled from Karkaton and was revoked of my status. The Dark Lord was found nearly attempting to harm a griffin who was about to have a litter of four, so I went in and tried to take him down, making him severely injured. He never knew how angry I was, and he decided to remove my role as commander and have me keep out of the volcanic area without anyone to guard me until he tells me I can return. I don’t know how long he specified I’ll be away, perhaps a month or two.”

“I see… So why go to Greenhorne?”

“To seek the luck charm I was informed about. Having the Divine Spirit in my clutches will be enough to make the Dark Almighty gleeful when I make my return, and we’ll use him to improvise our growing army… Although, it appears such a thing won’t happen now, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, so it was the great guardian who brought you here… Did you receive any dreams or prophecies of such?”

“I’ll admit, I did have visions of seeing myself harm the Dark Curse, and evil spirits came to me saying my rebellion against him is inevitable. I couldn’t comprehend these dreams, even for a second. It’s as if it’s a punishment for my bloody battles and the faces I’ve snatched… In this case, yes I have.”

Ari took a moment of thought to let the pieces connect together: So from what Asher was telling her, the Dark Lord had exiled her for protecting an innocent monster who was going to have small griffin babies from the likes of him. She was doing something out of dignity, and this is what she’s rewarded with…? It’s no wonder it’s one of the reasons why she took off to Greenhorne, though the fact she obtained the charm was also suspicious behavior. However, she will give the guardian spirit credit that they knew her karma was heavily inevitable. She can’t help but pity her sister for what she’s seen in the Karkatonian region.

She placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder, “Well, if it can lighten up your mood, if you can take us to Karkaton to seek the Dark Lord and put an end to his reign—”

“I won’t let you harm my ruler!” The False Warrior backed away and hissed, “He has given me a second chance in life, and I owe him everything for what he’s given me!”

“But he’s still given you nothing! He’s literally using you for his personal gain!”

“He would never do such—”

After a long hour of being silent, Marina finally stood up. She got out of her chair and have the imp a stern look that can give anyone a shiver to the bone. The oldest sister knew well of how she is by nature, and how her words are stern enough to put anyone in their place. The moment the cleric stood up, Asher immediately went quiet, showing a bit of guilt, but also a tint of cockiness. Ari allowed their adoptive mother to speak,

“Asher, I would like to remind you that you are a prisoner that’s being held under our supervision. Any act of rebellious behavior and denial will be used against you, even if you say he’s done nothing bad to you. The Dark Lord, Samael, is an imperialist with a long history of brainwashing others into working for him, and he’s converted you into a cultist. I don’t care what sort of good things he’s gifted you, because he is an enemy to Miitopia for decades and before you know it will kill you off and send you to the Great Oblivion.”

Marina had a regretful look in her eyes as she saw Asher give a tense look, but she continued, “Therefore, you will lead us to the Dark Lord. You will take us to his castle, seek his throne, and then dispose of him. Once that is finished, we will have to execute you for your war crimes. No one goes unpunished when they share an alliance with the Phantom of Evil. At least do what Ari wants you to do, because even then she still loves you as family and will do anything to keep you out of trouble.”

The imp warrior bared her teeth, but then looked at Ari. Her unsheathed metallic claws hid under her gloves as she took a moment to keep calm. Not like she wanted to continue living in Miitopia anyway…

“...Fine,” she growled, “Even if it means having to be despised by every Mii who’s known of me, I’ll do what the mage tells me to do. However, in return, the both of you need to let me do one thing…”

Ari and Marina widened their eyes upon hearing of Asher’s request.

––--

**_“WHAT?! YOU’RE LETTING ASHER LEAD THE TEAM AGAIN?!”_ **

Choppa was slamming the table with her dagger, her icy-blue eyes burning from the sight of the cleric and the mage. Ari knew the team wouldn’t like having Asher back in, but this was the offer she wanted in trade to help them find the Dark Lord. She isn’t sure if she can put faith onto her, but it was worth a shot.

“Why…?! WHY?!” the thief was spatting and ranting about, “I thought this team wouldn’t be this idiotic to allow a traitor makin’ her return! Have ya’ forgotten what she did to me when I tried to take her down?! She nearly had the pitchforks aim for my fucking head, for crying out loud!”

“Listen, I know this is a tight situation as the returning team member is a war criminal, but this is the only way to defeat the Dark Lord. She may be cruel to the other Miis, but her monster combat will make great use when we need a monster to take down. She’s also a commander, so she’ll definitely make sure the other monsters obey her command and leave us be. Consider this mission somewhat straightforward.”

“I know she’s smart and all, but we can’t just accept her in,” Zero was having a smoke, and she made a nice puff that made the flowers in her body bloom before she continued, “What if she’s baiting us to some sort of trap? What if she’s going to kill us all to silence us of what she’s done? Yer putting us in some deep water, Ari.”

Marina prepared a print of the map, the markings in red definitely hinted to be made by the warrior, “She has given us clues on how to trick the Dark Lord into supporting him. She told us that bribing him with wondrous goods will lower his guard, but we need to make sure we kill him in a proper manner that will benefit all of us. She’s also given us shortcuts that can make our journey quicker.”

Zero and Choppa looked at one another, Ari knowing where they were still confused and yet so baffled that they’d do this. Of course they’d have a pretty nasty reaction, especially since Choppa, the coldest thief in the group, wanted to take her down and bathe in her blood. Zero hadn’t known much about her, but she didn’t like team members who show disrespect, and they’re not getting along too well already… Well, maybe the journey can give Asher a change of heart and she can make sanctions with the two.

“What truly matters is that we’re here to defeat him and put a stop to his tyranny,” she declared, “If we don’t put a stop to him in time, the townsfolk won’t be the only one who’s stuck without a face. We’re going to have to learn to get along with the prisoner, or otherwise we will be in deep water, you understand?”

The tank sighed as she placed the cigarette in the ashtray, “Girl, that’s hardly a fair choice, since I still don’t trust that imp warrior. However, if you really mean it in your own words that she’s going to help us out, then I look forward to it. She might be a nice gal and all, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be buddies with her. I’m in, but as long as that imp isn’t trouble.”

“The fuck?!” Choppa retorted, “She’s literally insulted your sorry ass, don’t do this to yourself! Ya’ know she’s a vile serpent, don’t ya’ get it?! I’m not giving in to any of this, I’m not going to the dark side.”

“We’re not in the dark side, though.”

“WE ARE WITH THAT RAT LEADING US!”

“And she’s going to guide us to Karkaton, is that not enough?”

“But… I…”

Choppa just slammed her head aggressively, just internally screaming as if throwing a brief tantrum and was pulling her hair. Ari bit her lip as she and the rest of the group watched her throw a hissy fit over the returning team member, making furious mumbling sounds. After what appeared to be almost a minute of her going ballistic, she took a moment to breathe,

“Okay, I think I’m better now… I’m joining in, but I got my eye on her…”

Ari’s face went from worry to massive excitement. Marina smiled and nodded, knowing well that they’ve all agreed to the plan. The mage knew well that they were ready for the new journey that’s ahead of them. If Asher can do the deed in trade of letting her lead the way, then so be it. The team was ready for the challenge.

Before either of the Miis could say anything, however, the power went out…  _ And the skies went red... _


End file.
